About the Association

The Old Cranbrookians' Association (OCA) is an association of the former students of Cranbrook School.

Aims and Objectives

To encourage current and former students to strengthen their sense of identity as members of the Old Cranbrookian community.

To further promote a sense of heritage and history amongst members of the OCA.

To enable former students to remain in contact with each other.

To track achievements of Cranbrook alumni and to provide a mechanism to celebrate their success in the wider school community. ​​

To enable the school to keep in contact with its alumni.

To enable the school to identify and utilise the skill and experience of former students to support the learning and enrichment opportunities of current students.

To create a network which can be used to support the material improvement of the school This last point is particularly important when it comes to the school’s Development projects and we would like to thank all Old Cranbrookians for the help and support they have given our fundraising efforts in recent years. ​​

Committee Members

Rob Hillier

Committee Chairman

Steve Smith

Events Leader​

Philip Thompson

Treasurer

Claire Emerton

Events Planner

Alex Hodgkins

Facebooker

Rich Scully

Instagrammer

Ben Steel

Website Designer

James Watkins

General Helper

Role of the Development and Alumni Office

The Development and Alumni Office exists to support the development of Cranbrook School and promote the friendship of all Old Cranbrookians. The Cranbrook community includes current and former pupils, parents, staff, governors and friends of the school – all, in fact, for whom the school is, or has been, an important part of their lives.

Aims and Objectives

Inform and engage the friends of Cranbrook School (The Cranbrook Community) and to increase their number

Aid the School by channelling philanthropic support and giving

Provide you with opportunities to maintain your friendship with the School and with one another.

Facilitate friendship through events and reunions

keep everyone informed through mailings, publications and this website

offer university/career advice/opportunities through the School and Old Cranbrookian Professionals

welcome friends and visitors both new and old to the school.

The History of Cranbrook

Cranbrook’s history goes back to 1518 when a wealthy Yeoman bequeathed his ‘chief mansion’ to provide a ‘frescole house’ for the town’s children. Today – nearly 500 years later – we remain true to that original principle of offering a free, first-class education to those living nearby.

As a selective grammar school we challenge the brightest boys and girls in the local area (along with boarders from further afield) to fulfil their true potential in the classroom and broader walks of life. Happily, our academic results and recent Ofsted rating suggest that we are managing to meet that aim without ever betraying our ‘frescole’ roots. Indeed, in our view, no other school blends the traditions of the State and Independent sectors so successfully.​Many things have changed at Cranbrook over the centuries but such evolution is as much a part of our identity as the site where the schools still sits. We treasure our heritage but are very much part of the here-and-now – shaping our practices and policies to meet present-day needs and tomorrow’s uncertainties. ​